Wide-bore capillary column gas chromatography in toxicological analysis of biological samples from multidrug overdoses fatalities.

Fatalities from multidrug overdoses account for 25% of the total number of all poisoning fatalities and as such deserve greater attention from researchers than single drug overdoses. High resolution, good sensitivity, and repeatability provided by gas chromatography (GC) with wide-bore capillary silica and glass columns make GC particularly useful for identification and quantitative analysis of drugs in toxicological screening of autopsy specimens. Results of toxicological findings in three deaths from multidrug overdoses (methaqualone, doxepine, methotrimeprazine, pernazine-aspirin, paracetamol, codeine-morphine, diazepam) occurring in routine medical practice are reported.